OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Grab Your Winter Coat, It's Baseball Time!

[Big McLargehuge]

Go Mongolia.

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[Pick87your71Poison]

Go Mongolia.

You really like them over Cameroon?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

They're no Nauru.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Melancon is joining USA for the semis

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Melancon is joining USA for the semis

I'll jump on the Big grump train a bit and say guys jumping onto the team like Melancon and Jansen once the team qualifies for the semis does kind of rub me the wrong way. Don't feel like making effort until it looks like they may win the whole thing then jump in to be a part of the championship. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather they stick with what they have to start (outside of injuries of course).

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Based on the box score, Cole looks like he's on cruise control so far. 5 Ks in 3 innings against the Blue Jays, and just one hit, which seemed to be a double to ol' Jose Tabata, who maybe tried to extend it into a triple and got thrown out at third.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I'm not a fan of the jumping on, but I can understand with it just being pitchers early in ST

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Looks like Alen Hanson had a big day defensively and offensively, and several of the bullpen pitchers were a dumpster fire, especially Watson. Not encouraging there -- I am very hopeful that Winger's prediction of him returning to a 7th/8th inning role happens quickly and he is successful there. I'm ok with still trying him as the closer, but there should be a pretty quick hook on him holding down the job. Even according to the absurdist mental gymnastics that enter into decisions about who the closer is, Watson has really done very little to "earn" the role beyond several years of consistency as a late innings guy.

 

[Return of the Paek]

Looks like Alen Hanson had a big day defensively and offensively, and several of the bullpen pitchers were a dumpster fire, especially Watson. Not encouraging there -- I am very hopeful that Winger's prediction of him returning to a 7th/8th inning role happens quickly and he is successful there. I'm ok with still trying him as the closer, but there should be a pretty quick hook on him holding down the job. Even according to the absurdist mental gymnastics that enter into decisions about who the closer is, Watson has really done very little to "earn" the role beyond several years of consistency as a late innings guy.

Is Felipe Rivero our closer before June hits?

 

[Big McLargehuge]

Barring Rivero being dominant & Hudson being thoroughly mediocre, I'd have to imagine Hudson is next on the closer list.

I think Rivero is the closer of the future, but you rarely see 25 year-olds taking that role and running with it.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Besides what Big said, I do remember a report when Hudson signed that he was promised/told he has a "path to close".

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Besides what Big said, I do remember a report when Hudson signed that he was promised/told he has a "path to close".

Yeah I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Hudson get the majority of the closing opportunities relatively early on in the season and Watson/Rivero used mostly as the 7th/8th guys.

Not watching, but on box score, seems like a decent but not spectacular start against a relatively full lineup for the Rays with their main guys (Longoria, Kiermaier, Miller, Morrison, Rasmus, Dickerson, Beckham). 4.1 IP, 4 H, 2 BB, 2 ER, 4 K.

Osuna keeps up his red-hot spring with a 2-run HR and Mercer adds a 2-run shot along with 2 BBs.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

I included that bit about Hudson in my post, but edited it out because I was too lazy to fact check it

I think Hudson ends the season as closer. Past that is anyone's guess.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Oh, we're fact checking now?!?! Fancy.

 

[Penguins23]

I'll jump on the Big grump train a bit and say guys jumping onto the team like Melancon and Jansen once the team qualifies for the semis does kind of rub me the wrong way. Don't feel like making effort until it looks like they may win the whole thing then jump in to be a part of the championship. Maybe it's just me, but I'd rather they stick with what they have to start (outside of injuries of course).

I dont think that's actually how it went down.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

I dont think that's actually how it went down.

You're probably right that in these cases there is prob more to it with the WBC starting so early in camp and a lot of pitchers prob not really ready to go. I just don't love the optics of it in general and the guys losing an opportunity now after doing the work before, but I get that the team has to put together the best team possible and the timing of the tournament makes these situations more justifiable than guys looking for a shortcut to the finals or whatever.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

Oh, we're fact checking now?!?! Fancy.

He's opening up a whole new world on hfboards.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Eno is not a fan of Taillon's new change grip.

Source: Twitter

 

[DJ Spinoza]

The other thing with Rivero is that we might be able to basically use him as an Andrew Miller type guy, with Hudson being the closer for about a year and a half, and then re-assess after that. Nicasio is a UFA after this year, but maybe we can give him a small raise and keep him for a couple more. Clay Holmes will still be very young in 2019, but maybe if he doesn't work out as a starter, Taylor Hearn on the horizon, etc.

Rivero could of course transition into the role, but his age and the likely ability to be useful for multiple innings will make him most valuable as the most high leverage guy we have in late innings, especially if Hudson is able to equally handle high leverage ninth inning scenarios (but I think the way you draw it up ideally is that in a super closer game, Rivero might even be able to enter into the seventh inning and get through the eighth, or even do the sixth, seventh, and like a key batter starting the eighth, etc., in order to quell any comebacks).

Not great news to see some doubt about Taillon's changeup, but he's still getting results in limited innings, and generally not giving up any hard contact from what I see.

 

[Dread Pirate Roberts]

Taillon's fast/curve combo are nasty and he commands both of them well. It's always better to have more good pitches, but he can succeed with a mediocre change.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Yeah, it's hard to tell from the context of what Sarris is saying if he's more suggesting that the changeup isn't impressive enough to project a huge breakout, or if he's saying that might might see something more like a Michael Pineda situation with some serious struggles ahead of him. Definitely seems like the former, and I'm not really worried about Taillon right now.

Kuhl is pitching today, and the game is on Root. Jaso starting at 3B, and Gosselin at 1B. It's also interesting to note that both Gosselin and Hanson got some starts in LF recently -- seems like we could end up with having a bench filled with several super utility guys, which is fine in the case of Gosselin or Hanson, given their defensive abilities. Jaso I'm less sure about, but I'm definitely on board with his utility as a bench bat. I still think Osuna should just be the fourth OF, but the ability of the other players to work themselves into the OF and our relative lack of need at 1B may really work against him for now. Right now it's just a hot spring on the basis of solid, consistent minor league work, but given how useful Joyce was last year, I think it's worth exploring if Osuna can give us that contribution from the bench. Granted, Jaso will still be an OBP machine, but the offensive profiles of basically all the infield options who aren't 1B are pretty interchangeable, except for Kang. Power + average from somebody would be a nice cushion to have.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Fraizer continuing his hot spring and Jaso doing some early yard work. Both good signs.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Kuhl gave up 2 HRs in 5 innings, but also managed 4 strikeouts and just 3 runs total. Our spring stadium is pretty easy for HRs if the wind is blowing rightly, so I won't read too much into those.

Osuna has a double today. I've been overlooking how successful Frazier's been this spring. I briefly had the game on earlier, and he's leading all spring training batters in average. Meanwhile, Harrison is basically just hanging out with Team USA at the WBC. Frazier should/will definitely make the team now with more uncertainty about Kang, and I think probably should get as many starts in the early going as possible. It will allow us to form the most optimal lineup that we can, because he's the most capable leadoff type guy we have. Just kind of riffing here, but maybe something like this on opening day:

Frazier 3B
Marte CF
Polanco RF
Bell 1B
McCutchen LF
Cervelli C
Harrison 2B
Mercer SS

Tons of options, though -- maybe putting Cutch back in the #3 spot isn't the worst idea in the world, with Marte still hitting in front of him, and Polanco could maybe hold down the #4 spot. And actually, if you expect Bell to get on base and hit for a high average, having him be a "#4" hitter with Polanco hitting fifth might really make for a threatening top-5.

 

[Winger for Hire]

I'm down with that lineup, but I can almost guarantee that Hurdle has Freese penned into 3B while Kang is out a large majority of the time and I would imagine Harrison is glued to most of the early time at 2nd, which leaves Fraizer to take up the old Harrison role.

I would expect Hurdle's Opening Day lineup card to look something like...

1 Harrison (2B)
2 Polanco (LF)
3 Marte (CF)
4 McCutchen (RF)
5 Freese (3B)
6 Bell (1B)
7 Cervelli (C)
8 Mercer (SS)

 

[Cherpak]

Love Frazier's bat but with his defensive lapses putting him on the hot corner is almost certainly a disaster in waiting. Freese will be the starter until/when Kang finally returns.

Harrison will start at 2nd no doubt but he better not have another empty offensive start otherwise Hanson with his good spring will be waiting to pounce.